


There is more magic in the hearts of men...

by QueenofSchmoop



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys Kissing, First Time, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Season/Series 01 Spoilers, spoilers for episode 09 Excalibur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24133531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofSchmoop/pseuds/QueenofSchmoop
Summary: What if Merlin had intervened and not allowed Uther to fight in Arthur’s place against the Black Knight?
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 252





	There is more magic in the hearts of men...

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this ages ago and really thought I had posted it here on AO3. Guess not? Finally putting it up now. I'm leaving it largely as it was (originally posted on LJ) with a few minor 'clean ups'.

Merlin watched Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot, walk away and knew he had to stop him. He had promised the Great Dragon, after all. Thinking quickly, he darted forward, put his hand on the King’s shoulder and muttered a quick incantation. Uther slumped to the ground in a magical sleep. Merlin stared down at the ruler of the kingdom and then bolted straight out of the armory and ran into the palace.

He sprinted up the stairs to Arthur’s room, still holding the sword. He heard rattling at the door. “Arthur?”

“Merlin! Someone has locked me in. I need to get out to face the Knight.”

“I know. Stand back.” With one word of magic Merlin blew the doors inward, splinters flying everywhere.

Arthur was crouching a bit back, his eyes wide. “How did you do that?”

Merlin brushed the question aside. “Here,” he thrust the sword out. “You have to hurry or you will forfeit.”

“But--”

“No time!” Merlin half dragged Arthur down, still in his clothes from the previous night, and out into the courtyard. The Black Knight was looking around and the crowd was getting restless.

“Merlin, I need my armor!”

“No time!” Merlin shouted again. “Just don’t get hit!” He shoved the sword into Arthur’s hand, pushed him out into the arena. “He’s here!”

There were whispers and sounds from the crowd. Merlin heard several snippets like “no armor” and “either really stupid or the bravest knight ever” and also “is he drunk?”. He glowered at the crowd.

“You have finally come to fight, Prince Arthur.” The Black Knight’s voice was hard as steel.

Arthur squared his shoulder and lifted the blade, blinking in surprise at how it felt. “A true knight never goes back on his word.”

“Then let us fight unto the death.” They moved forward, swords clanging together. That was all that Merlin saw as Gaius grabbed his arm and whirled him around.

“What is the Prince doing here?! It’s supposed to be Uther fighting!”

“It’s all right, Gaius. I’ll explain everything later!” Merlin tried to turn back to the fight but was stopped.

“Boy, if you’re thinking of using magic--”

“I’m not. It’ll be all right. Trust me!” He whipped back around at a loud cry and saw Arthur stumble, hand over his thigh. He willed himself not to intervene. He watched as Arthur straightened up and raised his sword again then attacked in a flurry of movements. He drove the Black Knight back to the boards and raised the sword above his head for the final blow. He staggered back as the Knight kicked out and hit him in his unprotected stomach, then fell and rolled as the blade came down. He kept rolling out of the way then up to his feet, where the two swords met.

The crowd was gasping, ooohing and ahhhing at every movement, never having seen the like in tourney fighting before. Arthur moved with a simple grace while the Black Knight swirled like deepening fog around him. He deflected a blow to his back, whipped the sword above his head and brought it down over the Knight’s helmet. It served to stop him for a moment and for Arthur to scramble away and regain his feet.

“You can do it, Arthur!” Merlin shouted, caught up in it all. Arthur’s eyes flicked to where Merlin was standing and almost didn’t see the Knight coming. He whirled out of the way and then turned the sword in his hand, jabbing straight back with all his strength. The blade pierced the Black Knight’s chest, plunging through with a bright light. A second later the Knight exploded into a shower of sparks, the helmet clanking to the ground--empty.

Arthur went down on one knee, breathing hard. At the movement a mighty cheer went up through the crowd. Merlin hurried out to his Prince’s side, helping him to stand. Gaius came quickly after and together they removed Arthur from the field.

Half an hour later, after Arthur’s wounds had been tended to, according to Gaius’ specifications, and Uther had been revived and told of his son’s victory, Merlin found himself in Arthur’s quarters, aimlessly straightening things up. He was just redo-ing the bed for the fourth time when Arthur came in.

Merlin hurried over. “You shouldn’t be walking around! You’re hurt.”

Arthur tossed the sword on the bed, went straight over to his servant and pushed him against the wall of his room. “You will explain what happened today and you will do it now.”

Merlin looked into the other man’s eyes and saw how serious he was. He nodded and Arthur let him go. He gestured for Arthur to sit and after a moment, he grudgingly did so.

Merlin began to tell the tale. He started with himself, his powers, the Great Dragon under the castle, all of it. He continued on until he got to the part about the Black Knight being a wraith, the bit about ’no mortal weapon can kill him’ and about getting the sword and having the Dragon forge it. He told Arthur about spelling his father to sleep and then petered out, “and, well, you know the rest.”

Arthur was deadly silent for many a minute. Then he looked up and asked, “so you’re a sorcerer?”

“Yes.”

“And there’s a dragon under the castle.” It was more an unbelieving statement than a question.

“Yes.”

“And you spelled this sword,” he gestured at Excalibur, “so that I could win.”

“Not me, specifically. The--”

“Dragon,” they said together. “Right,” said Arthur. “Then I didn’t really win.”

“What? Of course you did.”

“If I won because of magic--”

Merlin lost his temper. “Listen to me, you prat I only gave you the right tool for the job, the only weapon you could use to fight him. If you’d gone out there with just an ordinary sword you would have been instantly killed! While you may sometimes be stupid and treat me as if I’m your slave rather than your servant, even after you promised that we would be friends forever, I care about you, idiot,” by now Merlin was basically shouting, “and I don’t want you to die!”

Arthur looked at Merlin, a very bemused smile on his face. “Finished?”

“No!” Merlin shouted, crossing his arms. “You could bloody well say thank you, you know! I had to go through a lot to do all this. You’ve no idea how hard it is to talk to that dragon, I swear he talks in riddles. And now I owe Gwen--”

“That might be a good thing,” Arthur winked.

Merlin let out a muffled scream and actually stamped his foot on the floor. “You utter imbecile! I like Gwen a lot but she’s not you! You’re the one I’m bonded too, you’re the other half of the coin, you’re the one I’ve fallen in lo-” Merlin stopped abruptly and clapped a hand over his mouth.

Arthur stood. “Yes? You were about to say?”

“Nothing,” it came out a squeak. “Um, nothing,” Merlin said again, making his voice deeper this time. “Nothing at all. You’re just,” he backed up as Arthur came closer, “a rude, um, boy, um, I mean Prince and--” Merlin gulped as his back hit yet another wall and Arthur loomed over him. He let out another squeak as a hand brushed up his side and then cupped under his chin.

“Merlin.”

“Y-yes?”

“Stop talking now.” Arthur kissed him. It wasn’t a long kiss, nor very deep but it was sweet and gentle and filled with affection. 

When it ended Merlin pulled back in surprise and stammered, “b-but, you like girls! I’ve seen you!”

“I do like girls,” Arthur agreed. “But for some reason, I also like you.” He suddenly looked suspicious. “You haven’t put a love spell on me, have you?”

Aghast, Merlin replied, “I would never! Of course not!”

“Good. I’d hate for this to be some spell. I told you when we met, Merlin, there’s something about you.”

“You’re taking the news that I’m a wizard pretty well, sire.”

“We just kissed and I intent to do it again in a moment so I think we can dispense with the sire.”

“We are?” yelped Merlin.

“I hope so.” Arthur leaned in “Do you know how it makes me feel to know you’ve been looking after me all this time?”

“You don’t care that I’m doing magic?”

“I am not my father, Merlin. I understand that there are those that do magic and bring only good into this world. I know you are one of those people.”

“You do?”

“Of course. You could never do true evil. You’ve too good a heart for that.”

Merlin could not think of what to say to this.

Smiling at seeing his servant speechless, Arthur leaned in again and traced a thumb over his bottom lip. “Besides, you’ve been giving away little clues for months now.”

“I have?!” Merlin was in a panic. “You mean everyone knows that I’m--”

“Not everyone. Just those of us who watch you, who know you well.” Arthur’s thumb moved up and ran over the upper lip now. “And I’ve been watching you.”

“You have?”

“Yes. Since Lancelot was here, actually.”

Merlin’s eyes grew so large that he thought they would pop out of his head. “That was months ago!”

“Yes. I had realized how much I care for you after you drank the poison from the chalice. But it was when I saw you and Lancelot getting so cozy that I truly realized how deep my feelings had become. I started watching you very closely, Merlin.”

“You did?”

“Yes. I began to wonder about you. Then Mordred, the Druid boy…”

“Did he say something to you?” Merlin was genuinely curious.

“No. He only spoke to tell me his name. But when we were at the gate and I thought you weren’t coming--”

“I’m sorry about that but--”

Arthur kept talking right over him, “I knew. I knew how I felt. I think I knew how you did too.”

They looked at each other then Merlin glanced shyly at the door. “Don’t you have…?”

“No. There’s a banquet tomorrow night in my honor for my ‘defeat’ of the Black Knight. But really we should be giving one for you, Merlin.”

“Oh no!” came the protest. “I didn’t do anything. I just asked the Dragon, that’s all. You were the one who fought.”

Arthur shook his head and tugged the other boy forward, leaning their foreheads together. “You’re the real hero here. You’re the one who should get the acclaim.” He hushed any protests with another kiss then leaned back, wincing.

“Should I run and get Gaius?” Merlin immediately asked.

“No. I’ll be all right. Just help me to the bed.”

Merlin put his arm around Arthur and they slowly walked to the canopy, Merlin taking great care to set the Prince down gently. As he helped him get into the bed, he asked, “what else do you need?”

“For you to stay,” came the instant answer “At least for a while?”

“Of course.” Merlin grabbed a chair and settled down by the bed. “Anything else?”

“No.” Arthur closed his eyes and began to drift off. “Merlin?” he murmured before dropping into sleep.

“Yes, Arthur?”

“Tomorrow,” and Arthur smiled in his sleep, “I want to meet this Dragon of yours.”

Merlin started to explain that the Dragon wasn’t really his and--”yes, Arthur,” he agreed fondly and bent over to kiss the now sleeping Prince.

End

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if I need to change/add to the tags


End file.
